A Dog’s Perfect Christmas audiobook vs book: which should you choose?
One family’s run-up to Christmas brings one problem after another, until a lost puppy turns up and may be exactly what they need.
Short answer: for the A Dog’s Perfect Christmas audiobook vs book choice, we say read it on Kindle (65% confidence, leaning). Unlike most of W. Bruce Cameron’s dog books, this one is not told by one dog: the story moves between the family and their dogs, and one narrator voices them all.
Read it on Kindle
The story moves between the family and their dogs, and one narrator voices every switch.
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Confidence 65%, which puts it in the leaning band. Bands run from close call at 50 to 64, through leaning at 65 to 79 and clear at 80 to 94, up to clear cut at 95 and above.
The audiobook at a glance
| Recording | UK edition, our verdict | US edition |
|---|---|---|
| Narrator | Mary Steenburgen | Mary Steenburgen |
| Length | 8 hours 9 minutes (8h 9m), unabridged | 8 hours 9 minutes (8h 9m), unabridged |
| At 1.5x | about 5h 26m | about 5h 26m |
| At 2x | about 4h 5m | about 4h 5m |
| Audio publisher and date | Macmillan Audio, 6 October 2026 | Macmillan Audio, 6 October 2026 |
| Audiobook price | £14.41 on Audible UK | $20.24 on Audible US |
| Kindle price | £3.99 on Amazon UK | Not confirmed |
| Pan paperback, 288 pages | Forge hardcover, 288 pages, $15.99 | |
| Listener rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Earlier recording | Ann Marie Lee (2020) is on library apps, not Audible | Same |
Audible UK and US list the same narrator, length and publisher. Whether they sell one recording or two is not confirmed.
Audible also lists a 6-minute Children’s Audio Edition read by Steenburgen, which is not the novel and is not scored. The Dogs of Christmas (2013) is a different book.
Ratings and prices checked 29 October 2026. They change often. Amazon US does not show Kindle prices outside the US, so US Kindle prices are not given.
Lengths checked 29 October 2026. Speed times are calculated.
A Dog’s Perfect Christmas
W. Bruce Cameron
- Genre
- Christmas fiction
- First published
- October 2020
- Length
- 288 pages (Pan paperback)
- On audio
- 8 hrs 9 mins, Mary Steenburgen
- On screen
- Netflix film, from 4 November 2026
On this page
Why we reached this verdict
Every book on this site is checked against the same thirteen questions. They are based on research into what most people find easier to follow in each format, not on whether the book is any good.
Listening: nothing confirmed, 0 points. Reading: three or more points of view, one narrator (8), 8 points. 100% of the confirmed points favour reading, so the verdict is read it on Kindle at 65% confidence (leaning). Only 8 points could be confirmed, so confidence is held at 65% until more evidence is found.
The recording in detail
- Scored
- Mary Steenburgen, Macmillan Audio, 2026, 8h 9m, unabridged
- Critic review
- None yet; no Audible ratings yet
- Alternatives
- Ann Marie Lee (2020), on library apps only
- What you miss
- Nothing confirmed
What this book actually is
A Dog’s Perfect Christmas is W. Bruce Cameron’s Christmas novel, first published in October 2020. One family’s run-up to Christmas brings one problem after another, until a lost puppy turns up. The emergency that hits the family is not covered here.
The Netflix film streams from Wednesday 4 November 2026, with Dennis Quaid, Milo Ventimiglia, Brooke Lena Johnson, Mary Steenburgen and Thomas Haden Church as the voice of Winstead. Its story matches the book. Netflix has not confirmed a UK date on its own pages.
The case for reading it
The story moves between people and dogs, and on audio one voice carries every switch. At 288 pages the book is a short, quick read, and on the page it is easier to keep track of whose turn it is.
The case for listening to it
Mary Steenburgen, who plays Claire in the Netflix film, reads this new recording, so the audiobook comes with a voice from the cast.
At 8 hours 9 minutes, or about 5 and a half hours at 1.5x, it fits around Christmas jobs.
The audiobook in detail
Macmillan Audio publishes the unabridged recording, read by Mary Steenburgen, at 8 hours 9 minutes on Audible UK and US (6 October 2026). It had no listener ratings yet on either store when checked on 29 October 2026.
The 2020 recording read by Ann Marie Lee is on library apps but not on Audible. No PDF companion is listed.
Who should ignore this verdict
Lean towards audio if you want to hear a voice from the film, or if a story you can listen to while wrapping presents is the point.
Audiobook
- Read by Mary Steenburgen, who is in the film
- 8h 9m, or about 5h 26m at 1.5x
- Unabridged; Macmillan Audio, 2026
Read differently from most people? The app, coming soon, will let you switch off any of the thirteen checks. Get notified →
Related verdicts
Skipping Christmas
One storyteller and one narrator on a short comic novel, with nothing confirmed pointing to print.
The Christmas Pig
A full-cast production with an original score, and nothing confirmed pointing to print.
The Snowman and the Snowdog
A reading with music from the film’s score, and nothing confirmed pointing to print.
Nothing Lasts Forever
Also in Christmas on screen, with the opposite pick.
Start hereHow we decide
The thirteen questions behind every verdict on this site.
Questions people ask
Who narrates the A Dog’s Perfect Christmas audiobook?
Mary Steenburgen, who is also in the Netflix film.
How long is it?
8 hours 9 minutes, unabridged.
Is A Dog’s Perfect Christmas a book?
Yes, a novel by W. Bruce Cameron, first published in October 2020.
When is the Netflix film out?
Wednesday 4 November 2026.
Is the book told by the dog?
Not only. The story moves between members of the family and their dogs.
Should I read or listen?
Read, at 65%. Several viewpoints in one voice are easier to follow on the page.
Do you agree with this verdict?
We said read it on Kindle. One tap, no sign-up.
Spotted a mistake on this page? Tell us and we will fix it. Or tell us how the site could be better.
How this verdict was reached
Every book on this site is checked against the same thirteen questions, set in advance and applied identically to every title. They are based on research into what readers and listeners generally find easier to follow in each format, not on personal preference, and they are published in full so you can check the reasoning yourself. Verdicts are never paid for, sponsored or influenced by affiliate partners.
- The criteria: read the thirteen questions in full.
- What we checked for this book: Audible UK and US, Amazon UK, Pan Macmillan and Macmillan US, Netflix, What’s on Netflix, DimbutNice (November 2020) and NetGalley reader reviews.
- Verdict last reviewed: 29 October 2026. Editions and narrators change, so verdicts are rechecked annually.
- Prefer different criteria? The app, coming soon, will let you change which of the thirteen questions matter to you.
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